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CNN anchor Jake Tapper called out House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) for cooking up lies to defend Donald Trump’s “enemy from within” threat against Democrats on Sunday.
“Does wanting to use the military against political opponents, would that pass muster with the Civility Caucus?” said Tapper, referring to a caucus that the House speaker helped establish in Congress in 2017.
“Jake, you know that’s not what he’s talking about there. What he’s talking about is marauding gangs of dangerous—” Johnson claimed.
“Nope,” Tapper interjected.
“—Violent people who are destroying public property and threatening other American citizens,” Johnson continued.
“Nope. He talked about Adam Schiff and the Pelosis,” replied Tapper, who referred to his recent interview with Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) and his attempts to excuse Trump’s threat.
Tapper then played a Fox News clip of the former president, who referred to an “enemy from within” before naming Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), former House speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and her husband Paul Pelosi, the latter of whom was assaulted at their home in 2022.
“These people, they’re so sick, and they’re so evil,” Trump said.
Tapper pressed Johnson for defending Trump.
“So, let me just say, if a Democratic presidential candidate said that you and your wife were evil and that the military should be used against you, I would say that’s disgusting,” he said.
Johnson continued to defend Trump’s attacks.
“Look, Trump is talking about restoring law and order,” Johnson said.
He later continued, “Donald Trump can bring order back to the chaos. They know that. So they’re willing to give a little on his social media posts and some fun language he uses at rallies.”
Tapper replied by citing Trump’s recent characterization of Jan. 6, 2021, as a “day of love.”
“He said that the Jan. 6 criminals, the prisoners who violently attacked your place of work, he compared them to the victims of Japanese internment camps. And that guy is in favor of law and order?” he asked.
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